


Choosing Sides

by Anxiety_filled_Brioche



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_filled_Brioche/pseuds/Anxiety_filled_Brioche
Summary: Charity Blake Nigma is the daughter of the Riddler. She has been raised only knowing the life of Gotham's villains and has become the brains of the newest generation of Gotham's worst. The one thing she never planned was getting on Batman's radar, let alone being kidnapped and forced to join his sidekick's team. Being on a team of "good kids" is a new experience that she finds herself oddly enjoying. In the end she will have to choose between the two sides that she knows.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Bank Robber

(Blake Pov)  
I'm halfway through the bank’s security system, this is the third-largest bank in Gotham. I need some new tech if I'm going to break into Wayne Tech anytime soon. For a playboy that parties half the time, he has some high security. I'll get in there eventually though, just like I did with Cadmus. This would be easier if I had Dad to keep Batman busy, but he was caught again three days ago. I heard they're thinking of sending him to Belle Rev. If he is sent there I don't know when I'll see him again. It only takes him maybe a week tops to get out of Arkham, hardly a challenge for The Riddler.  
I finally break through the last code, it took me six minutes twenty-eight seconds. That's too slow to be proud of. I wire the money I need, fifty thousand dollars, give or take, to sixteen different accounts, all easily accessible for later. I walk out the bank’s front door, much easier than the way I came in. The security systems won’t turn back on for another three minutes, and the cameras are repeating video feed, for another two. They won’t know I was here until they discover some of their money missing in the morning. I start walking back to my apartment, sticking to the shadows. I don't want to get into any kind of fight, as I'm not that great at fighting. Spades usually takes care of that, but he didn't come tonight. He was helping his Mom get his Dad out of Arkham. I've never really been a fan of his dad, but what can you do? Spades is pretty ok, I guess when he's not putting smiles on people's faces.  
I finally make it back to my apartment, it's small and in one of the worst areas in Gotham, but it works. I walk in the front door and immediately wish I hadn't.  
"Hi Selina", I say.   
"Where have you been Kitten, I hope you weren't getting into trouble with spades again", she says.   
"Spades wasn't there, and technically I didn't get in trouble", I reply. She just sighs in response.   
"Have you ate anything today", she asks me.   
"Um, I had a bowl of cereal yesterday", I say.   
"Charity, you have to eat more and not just cereal either", Selina scolds.   
"It's Blake, Selina not Charity", I respond. No one calls me Charity anymore, not since she died. Selina sighs again and stands up.  
"Alright Kitten, just make sure to eat something, and stay out of trouble", Selina says before leaving.  
(Time Skip, Next Day)  
Throwing some clean clothes on, I quickly get ready for the day. I'm getting all the money that I wired yesterday. When I'm done I walk out of my apartment and lock it. I walk down the street to the first ATM, I get a sixteenth of it from a random person’s account, I stole a few credit card numbers OK. One down fifteen to go. There aren't that many people out yet, but that's not surprising considering it's four-thirty in the morning on a Saturday. Most Gothamites are still asleep or just went to sleep, depends on what kind of Gothamite they are.  
By the time I'm walking to the last ATM it's eight in the morning. I'm not looking where I'm going as I am fiddling with my Rubik's cube. Quickly solving it, then messing it up to solve it again. I walk into a solid object and fall to the ground, dropping my cube in the process. I'm lucky my cash didn't fall out of my messenger bag, which has its strap thrown over my shoulder instead of it being across my chest. I really need to stop being lazy with the bag and wear it right. A ton of cash falling out would have been difficult to explain to someone. I quickly stand up looking for my Rubik's cube.   
"Sorry, I didn't see you", a boy apologizes, handing me my cube. I look at him, sapphire blue eyes, slicked back midnight black hair. Richard Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne.  
"Uh, thanks wasn't your fault though, I wasn't paying attention", I say, now feeling embarrassed at my worn-down hoodie and jeans. He smiles and goes to say something before a bright redheaded girl calls to him. I look at her and recognize her immediately, Barbra Gorden, commissioner’s daughter.   
"Sorry I have to go", Richard says politely before turning and joining Barbra, who gives me an untrusting look.  
I quickly walk to the last ATM and finish getting all of my money. I begin walking back, now watching where I'm going. I don't want to run into anyone else. Although I have to admit, Richard's pretty cute and I love his eyes, Spades would kill me and him if he knew this though. I'm almost home when I hear laughing in an alleyway. I sigh, already knowing who it is. I kinda just want to go home but I know he's here for me. I walk into the ally way. The fifteen-year-old boy steps out of the shadows as I near him. He towers over me, he being five-ten, and I only being only five four.   
"Hey Spades, what’s up", I ask. He laughs before answering.  
"We got a job with the Jr. Justice League tonight. we got to meet up with the others in a bit", he tells me.   
I nod, "alright just let me go put my cash up", I say and start walking home again, with Spades following close behind, too close for my liking. I don't say anything though and enter my home and quickly hide the cash. I then leave yet again, this time following Spades to meet up with everyone. Tonight's going to be a very long night.


	2. Blake's Game

(Robin pov)  
The Team and I are hanging around the cave. Miss Martian is baking cookies again, Superboy is watching static, and KF is trying to get him to watch something else. Aqualad's reading a book and I'm using my glove to go over a new case. Last night someone broke into the third-largest bank in Gotham, they took about $50,000. They left no fingerprints, no DNA, the security systems never went off, and the cameras caught nothing. The money was wired to different accounts of several random citizens, then was taken out early this morning. The break-in only took about five minutes and no one knew the money was missing until the bank opened this morning.  
"Team report to the mission room", Batman orders over the coms. We quickly change out of civies and we're in the mission room in a matter of minutes.  
"Joker has been spotted recently with what appears to be a new sidekick. You are to go after the sidekick who was spotted entering a warehouse in Gotham earlier. We sent the coordinates to the bioship, go."  
(Time skip)  
The Team and I are sneaking into the warehouse that the boy was spotted entering earlier. We pause and listen as we hear multiple voices.  
"I'm bored, they were supposed to be here by now", a young male’s voice whines. Are they expecting us? or someone else? either way, we want to be careful.  
"Maybe they didn't think you were important enough, so they didn't send them to play with us", a females voice answers.  
"No, they're coming. The League's pattern shows that they wouldn't go after such a low profile target, they'd go after someone like the Joker and send the Kids after someone like Spades", answers another, younger sounding, girl. I can't help but be slightly impressed, it sounds like this girl has been studying the Leagues behavioral patterns. We edge closer to the voices hoping to be able to see the owners of the voices, but KF trips on an object that I cannot see and lands right in the sight of the voices. There's loud giggling and in moments we are surrounded.   
There's the giggling boy, who looks sort of like a mini Joker, but with slight differences. He looks to be about 16 or 17 with black hair that has a green streak through it and is cut sloppily. His eyes are a murky green color and you can easily see the insanity in them. He's wearing a red hoodie with a black hood and black jeans. He has throwing knives strapped to his legs and chest and is spinning one of the knives, which have red hilts, on his finger while he grins.  
On his left was a tall and skinny boy with dark rings under his eyes. His brownish-grey hair covering his right eye and the rest goes past his chin. His muddy eyes stared at us coldly and unfeeling. He was wearing a green shirt with a scarecrow’s face on it and a brown jacket, unzipped, over it. He wore light blue jeans which surprised me because of how dark he seemed to be. No weapon was visible but I caught a glimpse of something grey under his jacket.   
Next to him was another boy about 16. Though he was very very pale. His white hair laid unevenly to just past his ears, with a grey stripe through it. His ice-blue eyes looked at us as if they could see into our soul, but it was a harsh glare. He wore a purple hoodie with his white pants. black fingerless gloves with blue diamonds on the back of his hands covered his hands. He had a sword with a blue and black hilt strapped to his back.   
Standing next to him must have been his twin sister as the only difference besides gender, was hair length and clothes. Her hair was past her chin but not quite touching her shoulders yet. She wore a white shirt with a blue diamond in the middle and grey pants. Strapped to her hip was a line of blue grenades. Or at least I think they're grenades.  
On Spades right was another girl around the same age. Her skin was an odd shade, it looked slightly green. Her hair was a rose red and fell past her shoulders with a slight curl. Her eyes were a bright and beautiful green but were mean and her gaze could sharpen daggers. She were a green V-neck shirt with jeans. She was seemingly weaponless but I didn't count her out.   
The last one truly shocked me, I recognized her. I had met her this morning when I ran into her and handed her the Rubix cube back after I made her drop it. I looked again just to make sure, but there was no doubt it. She had the same bright and intelligent, yet tired green eyes. The same long, slightly curly brown hair with the same purple streaks running through it. She even wore the same baggy and worn green hoodie from this morning with the same grey jeans. She still has a light brown messenger bag thrown over her left shoulder so the bag itself rests on her right hip. The giggling boy looks at the green-tinted girl and grins.  
"Clover, do us a favor and tie up our guests", he asks. The girl, Clover, grins in response.  
"My pleasure Spades", she replies and lifts her hands, flicking her wrists in our direction. Vines shoot out of seemingly nowhere and wrapped around us. Superboy starts to struggle but the tall skinny one pulls out a gun-type thing from under his jacket.  
"ah, ah, ah baby super. Wouldn't want a friend of yours losing their sense of reality, would we", he taunts. Superboy stops struggling and eyes the gun warily.  
"We wouldn't want to ruin the fun of the game", Spades chimes in.  
"Game", Superboy asks. Spades grins.  
"Blake be a dear and explain the rules." The girl I ran into sighs.  
"I am going to give you riddles, you have three strikes, meaning you can get three wrong", she explains.  
"After that", Spades giggles," it's game over for you, permanently". I sigh slightly in relief, while they've been distracted I managed to push the emergency signal.  
"What's the first riddle", I ask. Spades prances to Blake, throwing an arm around her. I can't help but notice that she tenses slightly.  
"Go ahead and give it to them Doll", he tells her, "start easy for them". She eyes the team before speaking as if trying to decide who to direct her questions to.  
"What goes up when rain comes down", she asks. KF answers before I can open my mouth and I groan internally.  
"Steam", he says, "when the water evaporates or when it’s warm". Blake shakes her head, smirking slightly, though to me it looks a little forced.  
"Strike one", she sighs, "the answer was an umbrella". Spades giggles.  
"Next question", KF demands. And I glare at him, he's going to be the death of us. Blake looks from KF to me curiously.  
"What travels around the world but stays in one spot", she asks. Again KF answers before I get the chance.  
"The sun, as it looks like it’s going around the world but it’s actually not moving", he answers. The girl sighs again, looking slightly disappointed.  
"Strike two, maybe you oughta think slower than you run", she says, teasing slightly.  
"KF", I say getting his attention, " do me a favor and don't answer any more riddles so you don't get us killed". Spades giggles.  
"The bird wants to play", he laughs, "ask another Blake". She stares at me for a second and I feel like I'm being analyzed.  
"If I drink I die, if I eat I am fine, what am I", she asks slowly.  
"Fire", I answer almost immediately. And I swear I see a small smile on Blake's face before it quickly disappears.  
"Correct", she replies, and Spades groans in disappointment.  
"What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it", she questions.  
"Short", I answer quickly once again and I see a slight gleam of excitement in her eyes as she nods.  
"If I share it, I don't have it, what is it", she inquires. This takes a few seconds longer to determine the answer.  
"A secret", I tell her, and she can no longer hide her grin.  
"Correct", she replies. She goes to ask another but there's the sound of glass shattering and the team of, I'm guessing, sidekicks disperse to fight the members of the League that showed. Except for Blake, she doesn't move. The vines loosen and we easily break free of them. Blake's right in front of me now, pressing something cold into my hand as she whispers.  
"Can you open the lock", She gives me a small smirk, "remember no cheating Boy Wonder". And in the time it takes me to blink, she's gone. The rest of the villain sidekicks are running too. I look at what she gave me, a small simple, golden-colored lock. It needs a four-digit number combination to open. Though the only thing it’s locking is itself. As I stare at it I come to the realization that the game was not the entire villain’s group. It was Blake's. She, I realize, figured out how to get us here. She knew that the league would send us after Spades if he was spotted after being a known ally of Joker. She came up with the plan. All of this was her game, but I am determined to beat her at it.  
My determination falters as I remember this morning. She seemed so sweet and innocent and shy. I thought she was just a normal girl, a very intelligent, brilliant, but normal girl. How'd she get mixed up with these other kids? How did any of them get here? She especially has caught my attention. It didn't seem like she enjoyed what she was doing. Not in the way the others had, She had obviously enjoyed the slight challenge I presented her, but she didn't like the situation. I wanted to give her a chance. A chance to get out. I had to find her again and gain her trust. I look down at the lock again, and maybe, just maybe, to do that I had to beat her at her own game first. And the first step to that was opening this lock. And I am going to open it.


	3. Enjoy the Show

(Blake Pov)  
Dads back out of Arkham and he actually wants my help with his next job. Stunt? Uh, with his next villainous act. What he wants me to do isn't that difficult but it is time-consuming and if I want to get it done in time, by like 10:30 tonight, I'm going to have to use some of Dad’s idiot underlings. Great. I suppose they can't be that stupid right? They do work for Riddler after all.   
I was wrong. They were definitely that stupid. Okay, so there were a lot of lightbulbs in a lot of places they had to change them, but it was the easy part and there are dozens of them! I'm the one that has to hack into Gotham’s light grid for however long Dad’s little theatrical stunt is going to take. I sigh and plop down into the chair, staring at the many monitors showing Gotham’s grid and other electrical crap. The trick has to start at exactly 10:35, not a second sooner or later, according to Dad. I start hacking anyway, even if it is only 10:27. Might as well have it ready. I also put some music on. Sue me, I have no idea how long this stunt is going to last. 10:32 and we're all ready to go.   
"Okay, Gotham get ready for the show," I mutter then pause, "keep the kids inside for this one, it's probably not family-friendly. Probably not people-friendly really." I hit the final key to start the show as soon as my watch switches to 10:35. I grin as the lights change and Rag'n'bone Man's Human comes through the speakers. All of Gotham has turned green and purple, which I admit will probably cause some chaos at stoplights. Whoops. I hum along to the song and smile when I see Bruce Wayne's building, lights now all purple except for the ones forming the green question mark. Don't you love what lighting can do? I jolt a little when there's an explosion across the city, that looks to be about where Dad is supposed to be.   
"and let the show begin," I say. Now I just get to sit and wait until he's done, which will probably take forever I realize and groan, sinking a little further into the chair.   
"Some people got the real problems  
Some people out of luck  
Some people think I can solve them  
Lord heavens abo...."  
I quit mumbling along with the song as it gets turned off. The monitor that was playing it is behind me... maybe it wasn't such a good idea to play music. I spin around in the chair and I'm definitely surprised.   
"Uh, hi there Batsy," I greet. No response. I click my tongue, he has no manners at all does he? "why are you up here," I ask.   
"You've hacked all of Gotham's lights and you're causing chaos", he informs me in that gravelly voice, jeez that must be painful, as he stares out of the window, eyes narrowed. I follow his gaze. He's glaring at Wayne's building. I chuckle.   
"You don't like him either huh," I ask. His gaze switches back to me. "He's too partying playboy type don't ya think? Plus he's hiding something," Bats eyes narrow again and his stance stiffens ever so slightly. Oh, so Batsy knows what Brucie is hiding. "Anyways, I'm serious, why are you up here? Don't you realize Riddlers across the city causing a mass amount of chaos and panic among your innocent civilians?" Again with the not responding crap, that is so rude. "ok, maybe you hit your head and lost your memory? Where's bird boy when you need him?" I sigh. "Alright, you're Batman ok? Your job is to catch bad guys. There's a big bad guy over there," I explain pointing towards the area where the explosion was, "so, fetch." He doesn't look happy.   
"You're coming with me," he growls and moves to grab me. I dive between his legs and roll back onto my feet, thankfully close to the door. I don't want to take on Batman, that is a fight I don't stand a chance in. Not even a 15% chance of me winning that one, even in this small space. While I am small and could get around easier in here, he's got much more experience, strength, tools, and well, I just suck at fighting anyone that's not a common thug.  
"No thanks I'm good," I respond before taking off through the door. He shouldn't be that fast since he looks like a bodybuilder or something and they usually have the endurance of a sick puppy. I hear his feet behind me, gaining ground quickly. Or I'm completely wrong and his muscle is actually useful. Damn it. I take a sharp turn, hitting the wall slightly more than I wanted to, before taking off down the stairs. My lungs are burning and I wish I had actually trained for this kinda stuff more. I can see the bottom. My foot misses a step. I fall forward, unable to stop myself, head slamming into something hard. I tumble down the rest of the stairs, groaning when I hit the bottom. God that hurt. My head is swimming and I'm fighting the urge to puke. Concussion. I try to stand but I barely make it to a sitting position without throwing up. My heads pounding and I'm definitely bruised from the trip. I look up to see Bats standing over me, actually seeming to be concerned. He puts handcuffs on me and I can't find it in me to struggle. My visions swimming as my head falls towards my chest. Everything's hurting but I try to stay awake by taking account of my injuries. I've definitely got a concussion, I'm bruised all over my body, mostly my back, legs, and arms. Thankfully I don't feel anything broken. God, it's hard to stay awake. I think Bats is worried but I'm not too sure with that cowl covering his face. I let my eyes slip closed as darkness consumes me.


End file.
